Allee Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 Skategoat, if you'd waited one more weekend ... Sunshine got nearly 70cm over the last weekend and today is bluebird but still a bit cold. Nakiska got 54 cm, although Louise only got 30-something. I'm thinking that with the temps due to come back to the +ves later this week, that I NEED to be out there this weekend. Sunshine Coast, here I come (and I have a free day on my Sunshine card too ... PRIMO!!) All smiley now!! :p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Sub Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 that sunshine is an interesting looking place! when I was in Crested Butte I met some girls from LL...they were ravin about it. Plans were to go up there some time, but didnt happen. shoulda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted February 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 Sunshine's a really nice crusing hill.I love that at the end of the day, you can ride all the way up to the top of Continental Divide, and then go without stopping until you hit the carpark about 20 mins later. Luv that ski-out. And the snow there is always incredible, being all natural and pretty high up (7400 ft at the village). I've been there in mid May when it's been as good as February, and the hill has been empty. I'm picking she'll be jumping this weekend though ... Louise is still my fave, but further to drive, and they're not having the best season this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Sub Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 do they offer some sort of inter-resort pass? heck...wonderin what it would be like to pick up and give it a go there for a while next season. steamboat beckons though;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skategoat Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 D-Sub, there is a "Big 3" pass for Sunshine, Lake Louise and Norquay. If you buy the 3 day pass, it also gives you free shuttle service between the three. I love Sunshine Village. One of my favourite places to ski. Tons of terrain and a wide variety of pitch, length and trees. You can ski or ride whatever you want there from long easy groomers to extreme skiing (Delirium Dive). Allee, we got pretty good snow last week at Sunshine. On Sat. night, there was a surprise snowfall of 10 cm so it gave a nice dusting of fresh stuff. I can't complain too much about the conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Sub Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 oh..I meant season pass? that whole area is awesome. been to banff in the summer before. a bit turned off by the ritzy rich aspect of the town itself tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted February 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 than Calgary in the winter. D-Sub, I moved here for the same reasons you moved to Bend, and I have yet to regret it. If you're really keen there are 8 excellent hills in what I consider "day trip" territory (4 hrs drive) but four of them are within 2 hours. The city itself has a thriving economy, and a pleasant environment even in the winter ... we get the "chinooks" frequently so it can go from -30 to 0 literally in a day. It doesn't seem to stay really cold for long stretches like so many other places here. Long hot summers, lots of green space, mountains on the doorstep, fantastic national parks within easy driving. What else could you want? People think I'm mad for leaving New Zealand, but I'm in no hurry to go home. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Sub Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 oh damn youre from NZ? wanna get married? Ill defect to canada! I swear! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 Calgary is getting pretty big and traffic-choked these days, that's the only downside. It's pushing a million. The drive to Sunshine or Louise on a weekend morning can get kind of ugly. But as Allee says, there are a 4 major resorts within 1-2 hours (Sunshine, Louise, Norquay, Nakiska) plus 3 more in the 3 hour range (Kicking Horse, Panorama, Fernie). There are several other small local ones too. It's a good town to live in if you like to slide fast on snow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Sub Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 crazy. not something I ever considered so...is Sunshine the closest "big" hill? are there places between Calgary and sunshine to live? honestly I dont think canada wants many americans comin there. we're all idiots, remember?;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skategoat Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 On the drive towards Banff on Hwy #1, I noticed the hill below the Olympic ski jump. It was nice and wide, well-lit and looked to be perfect for carving. What's that hill called? It was 5 minutes out of town. Allee, I hear the only downside to Calgary are the rich oil guys who think they have the world by the tail just because they were in the right place at the right time. I guess it can't be any worse than the Bay St. guys in T.O. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Sub Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 oil barons? I thought only the evil capitalist america had that! damn...my perception of canada as a socialist utopia is shattered;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 The ski jump hill is now called Canada Olympic Park (COP) although many of the locals still call it Paskapoo. Lots of local Calgary kids learned to ski there. It's a decent place to make a couple of turns and dial in equipment, and they have night skiing. D-sub, I'm not sure what you do for a living but if you're independantly wealthy and can just pull up stakes and move wherever, the place you want to be is Canmore. It's a town just on the east side of the Banff National Park border. As it's not allowed to purchase property in Banff unless you are a full-time working resident, many people who want recreational property near Banff have purchased in Canmore. Lots of people have retired there too. Not sure how big it is now, 10 or 20,000 maybe? Big enough to have a good selection of restaurants and shops anyways. All the retirees and such have seriously pushed up real estate values there. From Canmore, it's maybe 20 minutes to the Sunshine turnoff (then another 10-15 to the parking lot). Louise is another 30 minutes past the Sunshine turnoff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Sub Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 I think I went through canmore on a road trip once Im not wealthy. far from it. Id want/need to work:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 If you want to work in Calgary but live someplace smaller and slightly closer to the hills, there's Cochrane about 20 min west. BTW, the closest big hill to Calgary is actually Nakiska. IMNSHO it sucks, but some like it. Lots of easy blue cruisers, but cut funny with double fall-lines. The top part is supposedly better but it's hardly ever open as the place is situated in some sort of weird anti-snow vortex, weatherwise. It was a big political issue to put it there for the 88 olympics. It's been a big hole of suck ever since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted February 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 Neil, traffic choked is all relative. I come from Auckland and I love Calgary traffic - but then, I don't have to travel on any of the "bad" routes to get to work. Compared to some of the cities I've been in (Athens and Lima, Peru, both of which I thought I was going to die in), I don't complain about Calgary's traffic! (Looks like you're going to luck in at Panorama too ... more snow in the forecast there. I really hope that the conditions are good for your vacation as it's a great hill when there's snow ... I'm guessin' you'll be over the back in Taynton :) ) D-Sub, I had one of those married things ... left him in New Zealand ... don't miss him either! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Sub Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 well hell it would only be on paper! Im a pretty freewheelin guy myself. want your space? no prob! me too! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted February 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 D-Sub, you're very persuasive. :) Neil, that's pretty tough on Nakiska! I know some people here who say the same thing, but I'm not good enough, or even really inclined, to ride bumps, and I've had some fabulous days at Nakiska just crusing the blues. The grooming is exemplary. And I've never been there when the weather's been bad either ... strange ... Different strokes for different folks. But I would like to hear what you think of Taynton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted February 7, 2005 Report Share Posted February 7, 2005 I lived in Calgary 14 years ago when it was still a relatively small city. It's blown up since. Now I live in a place where I can bike to work halfway across town in 15 minutes. They're going to have to get a lot of snow in Panorama to have Taynton be in decent shape, I think. My favourite runs at Sunshine are all off Goat's Eye - I love Freefall - so I'll be all over Taynton if it's any good. We'll be there from the 14th through the 18th inclusive, so if you come up for the day maybe we'll run into each other. If you have FRS, my radio is on 7-22. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bordy Posted February 8, 2005 Report Share Posted February 8, 2005 We were just there for the Noram, All the fresh snow made the locals very happy, Some of the team and I had the joy of helping a Cat flip his car back over after he rolled it during the storm on Friday. Although it was a mess for the driver he made our trip by being the firsy aah we heard which is always a memerable moment in Canada. As in " Boys you think we can flip it back over aah? Very pretty part of the country for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleaman Posted February 9, 2005 Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 Originally posted by Bordy We were just there for the Noram, All the fresh snow made the locals very happy, Some of the team and I had the joy of helping a Cat flip his car back over after he rolled it during the storm on Friday. Although it was a mess for the driver he made our trip by being the firsy aah we heard which is always a memerable moment in Canada. As in " Boys you think we can flip it back over aah? Very pretty part of the country for sure! eh? My inlaws live in Banff. Whenever we go, we get free babysitting and stay in a nice house on the Bow River for free. Then we ride like mad at Sunshine or Lake Louise, depending on the mood of my Wife. I haven't done it yet, but the Men's Downhill at LL looks like a good low carving steep run. I rode it lots before I was able to carve steeps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted February 9, 2005 Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 Originally posted by Fleaman I haven't done it yet, but the Men's Downhill at LL looks like a good low carving steep run. I rode it lots before I was able to carve steeps. Men's DH is probably the best steep carver at that hill, only problem is access - IIRC you need to take the (old, rickety, slow) Olympic chair to hit the top section, that or take Top of the World and go around to connect with the top of Olympic. Worth it for that top pitch though, railing that at mach schnell is way too much fun. Ladies DH doesn't have quite the steep drop, but it's longer, if you can hit it when the groom is fresh it's really good. Gets bumped up/glazed over by mid-day usually though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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